Attention Deficit Disorder

Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are chronic
neurological conditions resulting from persisting dysfunction within the central
nervous system that affects behavior and performance. It may interfere with the
academic achievement, self-esteem, and social and personal relationships of
otherwise promising individuals. The hyperactivity component was once thought to
be outgrown by early adolescence. Recent research has shown that in some cases
hyperactivity does exist in adults as well. The physical manifestations of
childhood hyperactivity are no longer so obvious, but these manifestations are
internalized resulting in many of the characteristics listed below. However, the
person with ADD who was not hyperactive as a child may go undiagnosed for many
years. As a result, many students are not diagnosed until they begin college.

Recent research supports
the view that ADD continues throughout adulthood. An estimated 50-65% of
children diagnosed with ADD will continue to exhibit symptoms throughout
adolescence into adulthood. Additionally, ADD does not always occur alone; about
40% of individuals with ADD may also have a learning disability or other
conditions such as anxiety, depression, Tourette’s syndrome, or
obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Persons with ADD
characteristically exhibit poor short term memory that may be attributed to
inattention or to an auditory processing problem. For some adults with ADD,
effective long term listening is nearly impossible. Processing information only
auditorially simply makes it difficult for persons with ADD to receive, process,
and comprehend oral output. These characteristics, along with those below can
best be dealt with by using some of the hints in the “Teaching Students with
ADD” section.

CHARACTERISTICS

SELECTIVE FOCUS OF
ATTENTION

Distracted by irrelevant stimuli

Hyper-focusing (over focusing on an
activity)

Difficulty completing tasks

Difficulty disengaging from tasks

Frequent traffic violations

Poor listening skills

Short attention span unless very
interested

Falls asleep or becomes tired while
reading

IMPULSIVITY

Interrupts or intrudes on others

Tactless

Impatient, low frustration tolerance

A “prisoner of the moment”

MOTORIC
RESTLESSNESS / FINE MOTOR DIFFICULTIES

Driven

Must be moving in order to think, trouble
sitting in one place, mental restlessness

Internal sense of anxiety or nervousness

Difficulty with printing or writing
skills

Coordination difficulty

RELATIONAL
DIFFICULTIES

Inability to recognize common social cues

Trouble sustaining friendships or
intimate relationships, promiscuity

Trouble with intimacy tendency to be
self-centered, immature

Verbally abusive, argumentative, seeks
conflict

Avoids group activities difficulty with
authority

EXECUTIVE
FUNCTIONING DIFFICULTIES

Poor organization, often has piles of
stuff, chronically late

Always in a
hurry

Overwhelmed by tasks of everyday living

Poor financial management

Difficulty performing tasks sequentially

Successful when surrounded by organized
people

REDUCED
SELF-MONITORING

Chronic procrastination

Difficulty starting projects

Enthusiastic beginnings but poor endings

Expends excessive time due to
inefficiencies

Inconsistent work performance chronic
sense of underachievement

Inability to recognize success or failure

LOW FRUSTRATION
TOLERANCE / NEGATIVE INTERNAL FEELINGS

Mood swings

Chronic problems with self-esteem

Sense of impending doom

Negativity

Test anxiety

PHYSIOLOGICAL
SYMPTOMS

Sleep disorders

Low energy, tiredness

Search for high stimulation (thrill
seeking, high stress jobs, doing many things at once)

Self-medication (alcohol, drugs,
caffeine)

Tendency toward addiction (food, work,
alcohol, etc.)

Medication is often used
as a component of treatment for ADD. As a neurobiological disorder, the
symptoms listed may be alleviated with medical assistance. Without the
correct medications, other interventions are often ineffective. Characterizing
these students as “lazy”, “disorganized”, or “unmotivated” and telling them to
“get your act together” or “try harder” only adds to low self-esteem and
frustration. A total treatment program that includes medication, therapy,
learning strategies, academic accommodations, and support groups is essential
for adults dealing with attention deficit disorder.

RESOURCES

Amen, D. G.
(1995, July). Windows into the adult ADD mind. Paper presented at the
Annual Conference of the Association on Higher Education and Disability, San
Jose, CA.